I've… been having strange dreams lately.
Dreams that make me unsure of everything that my life has been so far, and I don't understand why.
Dreams of a door floating off in space, and the shadow-cloaked beast that spends every minute of its eternity trying to batter that door down.
I can't make heads or tails of it.
Something stirs deep within the Collective Unconscious.
It's a familiar feeling to the surrounding space, happening every now and again. A pulse, like a sonar scanner searching for something, ripples out of the depths.
The long-nosed proprietor of the Velvet Room can already sense it. The backbone of existence itself has begun searching for a new Messiah.
Far away, within the Throne, every soul that resides there knows that feeling well. It's a sign that a new member will soon join them, for the current Keeper's time is running out.
Another poor soul will begin the Ascension.
Perhaps the beast that stalks the source knows it best. He knows it as his chance to break through to his constant goal.
The Great Seal has begun the search for a new candidate, for the Keeper's soul is fading.
A man sighs at the night sky before locking the doors of the small bookshop behind him and making his way home.
His demeanor is tired and off-putting, like a man who'd just worked the most grueling shift at a hard labor job. Certainly not the demeanor of a man who barely had any customers stop to make purchases in the last hours of his shift.
No, something else weighed on his consciousness. And it was clearly visible on his body. His face was pale, his emerald eyes sunken and baggy, his platinum blonde mop of hair disheveled. As if the poor man hadn't slept in days, let alone eaten.
Soon, his walk ended as he reached his apartment building. Walking up to the third floor, he fumbled his key into the door of the apartment with the name "E. Atwell" on it.
Another day, another dollar. Whatever keeps you going, Emil.
Emil surveyed his small apartment, something he had made a habit of doing whenever he arrived home from work. He had put work into getting this apartment, especially at the young age of nineteen. Of course, back then this place wasn't so much home as it was a place to sleep.
His eyes drifted to his kitchen, knowing full well that he needed to make himself something to eat. But, then again, there wasn't any food in those cabinets.
Next, he looked at his massive bookshelf. It had taken him many, many years to build up a collection so big. Working at the local bookstore sped the process up, thankfully.
And then his eyes landed on something that would break him out of his malaise. His calendar.
It was payday.
Emil felt a small smile creep across his face, feeling new determination to have a good night before going to sleep and starting all over again tomorrow.
First things first, he needed some food.
Emil didn't know when he had gotten settled in for bed, he hadn't been keeping track of the time. Because it didn't matter.
After all, he was going to have the same dream again tonight.
Floating through a starry void, the space so quiet he couldn't even hear the air he was moving through.
He didn't know where he was. He had never seen this place in his life, in fiction or non. Yet… he felt connected to this place. Something deep in his soul told him that this place was familiar.
Soon, after aimless floating for what felt like an instant and an eternity all in one, he heard a distant noise. The noise that haunts him even in his waking hours.
A distorted growl. The gnashing of its great jaws. Soon, it would come into view.
The boy's floating stopped at a clearing in the starry void. Below, he saw the monster. A great two-headed beast, who's body looked as if it had been reflected in a mirror at the midsection. The unyielding red eyes, the twisted horns coming out of each head, and the thick fog of pure darkness that attempted to surround the massive beast.
And in front of him was the door. A great golden stone barrier, symbols of eyes and swirls emblazoned onto each side. In the center, something hung attached by chains. He was never close enough to make out what hung there, but he could hazard a guess.
Emil was neither shocked nor scared. This was a scene he had been seeing for weeks, every single night. This great beast, twitching and foaming at the mouth like a rabid animal, prepared to throw itself into the giant stone structure in front of them.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Whatever stood guard in the center was keeping it from passing through. As if the figure in chains had deemed it unworthy of whatever lay behind.
The first time Emil had been brought here he was terrified. The second time, less so. Past the third, all he felt inside his heart was a weight of dread. A primal fear that all humans must feel at some point.
Like he was staring death itself in the eyes.
This dream always ended the same way. The beast would turn around to notice the uninvited guest, before preparing to lunge. And as if his mind was trying to protect itself, he would wake up before it could make its move.
Tonight was different.
The beast lunged at Emil, but he remained. With nowhere to go, his body stuck suspended in the air, he panicked. Fear coursing through his entire body as he watched its jaws open to engulf him.
But it was repelled. Just like the figure on the door had done to it.
With all questions and no answers, and the adrenaline rushing through his veins, Emil had no time to think.
He started moving again, closer and closer to the door. He was getting close enough to see the figure that stood guard, before realizing that that's exactly where he was being taken.
As Emil was moved closer, he realized that it was a statue of a man. Chains wrapped around his arms and legs, out-stretched and crossed respectively, as if the statue depicted a crucifixion.
Whoever was depicted in this statue looked even younger than him, maybe a sophomore or a junior in high school still.
Before he had the pleasure of theorizing on the meaning of the statue, his arms were freed from their grasp as he arrived eye to eye with it.
Emil felt the urge to touch the cracked statue, and against his better judgment, reached his hand out. A flash of light engulfed his entire body, and he was soon whisked away to parts unknown.
Author's note:
hi. been awhile since I wrote anything.
Keepers is a brainchild of mine that's inspired by alot of different things. most notably a dlc mission for SMTIVA, strangely enough.
this story is going to introduce alot of strange concepts, and I don't plan for it to be very long. maybe 10 - 15 chapters depending, but I'm not entirely sure yet.
this chapter will premiere along side the next one, and that one will serve to set up alot of how I want to structure this. if you're interested, stick along for the ride.
and if you're a fan of my previous story, Promises, thank you. that story means alot to me still, even though it's rough around the edges, and Keepers will have references to it here and there.
thank you for reading, and until next time.
-alex